Ivor Novello Awards Quick Links

Skepta picked up the awards for best contemporary song and songwriter of the year at the 2017 Ivor Novello Awards this week.

As if it wasn’t already confirmed by now, grime music is most certainly in the mainstream, with the genre’s poster boy Skepta winning the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for songwriter of the year.

The 34 year old star also picked up another of the evening’s most prestigious prizes, for best contemporary song with his track ‘Man’. It follows Skepta’s much-publicised win at last September’s Mercury Prize, and his nomination for a BRIT Award for his fourth album Konnichiwa.

Skepta, real name Joseph Junior Adenuga, and his crew of artists known as Boy Better Know, have spearheaded grim over the last couple of years as it has forced its way into mainstream consciousness.

The star, currently on the 'Adele Live 2016' tour in Europe, accepted the prize via video message.

Adele has been named as Songwriter of the Year at the 2016 Ivor Novello Awards, which recognise achievements of quality in songwriting, having been overlooked in all the other categories.

The 27 year old British star was not present at the ceremony in London on Thursday (May 19th), having performed in Zurich, Switzerland the previous evening on her current European tour. However, she sent a video message in which she said she was “very grateful” for the honour.

Sheeran was named ‘Songwriter of the Year’ in 2015 and this year ‘Bloodstream’ is nominated for ‘Best Song Musically and Lyrically’.

Ed Sheeran is among this year’s Ivor Novello Award nominees in the Best Song Musically and Lyrically category. The 25-year-old is nominated for his track ‘Bloodstream’ from his 2014 best-selling album x.

Ed Sheeran has received his third Ivor Novello nomination.

Sheeran faces some stiff competition as he is up against protege Jamie Lawson who is nominated for single ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ and Wolf Alice who received a nod for ‘Bros’. It’s Sheeran’s third Ivor Novello nomination after he was named Songwriter of the Year in 2015 and won Best Song Musically and Lyrically for ‘The A Team’ in 2012.

The annual awards, which are now in their 60th year, are exclusively voted for by songwriters, making it a rare example of musicians being recognised by their peers instead of by the public. ‘The Ivors’ is a comparatively short and exclusive list of categories, with only three nominations in each.

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"I come to the Ivor Novellos because One Direction aren't invited," said Noel Gallagher at this years Ivor Novello Awards, as the mouthy Mancunian commended the awards show for it's exclusivity and celebration of more obscure artists.

Among these often overlooked artists being recognised at Thursday's (May 16) event were three-time BRIT winning singer Emeli Sandé, who won two awards, Mercury Award winning act Alt-J, the multi-Oscar winning/nominated Randy Newman, and the multi-VMA and Grammy award winning Calvin Harris. Noel also picked up an award too, taking home the Outstanding Song Collection gong.

Speaking to NME on the red carpet just prior to the show, the former Oasis singer/guitarist said the reason he came to the awards show was "Because clowns like One Direction aren't invited, so it must be a good one" (and maybe the promise of an award would have enticed him in).